HotDocs: Write your docs with Ruby on Rails

Let's stop the JavaScript madness:

HotDocs is a set of optimized Rails components & tools for writing docs:

• Write your docs from scratch
• Embed docs in your Rails app

Get Started

Comparison

Feature	HotDocs	Jekyll	Docusaurus
Ruby on Rails (database, Hotwire, etc.)	✅	❌	❌
Embed docs in an existing Rails app	✅	❌	❌
Standalone docs	✅	✅	✅
Styled components you can customize	✅	✅	✅
Markdown (with syntax highlight & themes)	✅	✅	✅
Static export	✅	✅	✅
Search	✅	🔌	🔌
Light / Dark	✅	🔌	✅
Open source	✅	✅	✅
Free	✅	✅	✅

Anything missing? Suggestions? See how to contribute below.

Demo

HotDocs uses itself for its docs: check the demo out.

Development

In its current state, HotDocs is a mountable Rails engine.

The HotDocs website is a Rails app configured to use the HotDocs engine. Run it with:

bin/dev
bin/rails test

To release a new version:

• Update the version number in version.rb
• Run bundle exec rake release, which will
  • Create a git tag for the version
  • Push git commits and the created tag
  • Push the .gem file to rubygems.org

Contributing

Let's create a Rails alternative to (just) Ruby and JavaScript docs frameworks:

• Chime in the discussions with your feedback and wishes
• Open an issue
• Submit a pull request